Dark Decisions
by Forgotten Lake
Summary: What Kakashi might have actually done if he'd gotten to the Valley in time. A look into a slightly darker side of Kakashi...


Okay, sorry about the first posting of it. I accidentally uploaded a different document, and by the time I realized it, the story was posted and I spent the next five to ten minutes running around like a chicken with its head cut off, trying to figure out how to either a. replace the chapter or b. delete and try again. Either way it was a headache and a half, and then Document Manager wasn't working. Finally, it's working again, and I can post it. The right one, this time, not a DC chapter. Without further ado, back to what I was supposed to have posted to BEGIN with.

A one-shot that crept in my head that I had to write. (I know I said I'd be working on finishing a story on another account, which I am, but this came into my head and I HAD to write it.) I don't know if anyone's written anything like this, but if they have; my apologies. I don't remember reading it if that's the case. This story goes in the sometimes-used theme that Kakashi arrived earlier during Sasuke's and Naruto's fight, but with slightly different results.

Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto, thank the gods.

**Dark Decisions**

Kakashi watched as his two students fought each other with all they had, more power than any human being should have. Sasuke had submitted to Orochimaru's seal for power, a power that twisted its user, and Naruto was barely keeping control as the Kyuubi's dark power flowed through him with all the skill of one who contained the nine-tails could be expected to have. Sasuke took his technique, HIS, and used it to pierce through Naruto's chest. Naruto deliberately aimed for Sasuke's forehead protector, obviously unwilling to cause his teammate permanent harm, knowing how powerful the Rasengan was, instead just wanting to prove to his rival that he, too, had become powerful. Kakashi's heart bled as he watched Naruto fall to the ground as Sasuke stood there, trembling with chakra exhaustion and with an all too dark look upon his face.

All of his students meant so much to him.

Sakura, who had started out rather depressingly as a devout fan girl who showed little promise beyond book smarts, but who was starting to show signs of developing into someone much more interesting and worthwhile. While a bit over-zealous and sometimes too easily led by the nose, she had a decent heart, and that was what mattered in the end. He looked forward to watching the process of her growth into a successful woman.

Naruto, who was an almost painful mix of his parents. He looked so much like his father, and had so much of his mother's spirit. Despite what other people might think, Naruto was his favorite student. So self-driven, and yet at the same time, a good-hearted person. Okay, maybe he wasn't the brightest, but Kakashi didn't have to worry about his motivations. Naruto had a code of honor, and he stuck to it as if he'd been glued to it. If he promised he was going to do something, he would try and keeping trying, unable to allow permanent failure. And if it hurt to look at him sometimes, that was okay. Kakashi was good at avoiding thinking about things he didn't wish to think about.

Kakashi truly believed that Naruto was going to become someone. He wasn't sure if Naruto would become Hokage, exactly, but he wasn't going to be another no-name shinobi. He had too much potential to do otherwise, with his strength and his heart. Naruto was one of the few genuinely good people Kakashi knew, and he hoped with all of his heart Naruto would be able to retain as much of that goodness as was possible in their line of work. He often wished he'd had more time to spend with Naruto, but Sasuke, despite seeming to be so much more competent, was in much more need of assistance compared to Naruto. The best he could do was drop hints during training, and hope that Naruto, as self-driven as he was, would pick them up, and promise to himself that when he had time later, he would teach Naruto some of the things Minato had taught him. Now...after being pierced through the chest, Kakashi hoped that the Kyuubi's healing factor would once more bring Naruto through something he might have otherwise died from, because he refused to have that particular broken promise on his plate.

Then there was Sasuke, who reminded him too much of himself when he was younger, driven towards a goal, and smarter, more capable, then most other children their age. Granted, Kakashi had wanted to prove himself worthy, to step out from under the shadow of his father, and Sasuke had been driven to kill his older brother, but they had both been different from others, separated by their success, their loneliness, and their obsessive drive to become stronger, even if it was for different reasons. And he was an Uchiha, just like Obito. He still owed a debt to Obito, one that could never be repaid. Not for his eye, which Kakashi could have become great without, but for the lessons Obito had taught Kakashi, about family, friendship, and an honor that was above and beyond simply following the rules. Kakashi owed Obito, and he had hoped to repay some of that by teaching those same lessons to Sasuke, another Uchiha, and Obito's relative.

Kakashi had wanted to make Sasuke realize the value of what he had, show him that revenge wasn't the answer, show him what could be lost if he didn't pay attention. He wasn't the best of teachers, Kakashi both admitted and regretted, but with every cell in his shriveled heart, he'd wanted to bring Sasuke back into the light. Maybe, in some way, he would have been able to redeem himself through his pupil's redemption. Maybe not the healthiest of attitudes, but then, Kakashi dared anyone to show him a successful ninja who worked outside the village regularly that was a normal, well-adjusted human being.

And Sasuke? Sasuke had just taken his teachings, his advice, and thrown him back in his face, using the technique he taught him, his one, original technique that he'd hoped would allow him to fight against Gaara and not die or become injured like Lee had, and had instead just used it against his own teammate. By trying to kill Naruto, a fellow Konoha shinobi, his own team-mate, as he had, Sasuke had forfeited all rights as his student. Kakashi watched as Sasuke's now scratched protector fell to the ground, and his heart hardened.

There was only one course he could take, as both a shinobi, and more importantly, a teacher to two students who he was sure would become great and did not need someone like Sasuke hanging over their heads as Orochimaru hung over both Tsunade and Jiraiya's. He would not live with regret in his heart as Sarutobi had for not dealing with a wayward student when the opportunity was ripe.

In Kakashi's report, it stated that Sasuke had used too much chakra in his last chidori, and had died of chakra exhaustion. He had burned Sasuke's body as per procedure for missing nin, and had brought back the last member of the retrieval squad as quickly as possible for medical assistance. He had received some heat from various council members for burning Sasuke's body instead of bringing it back, but Tsunade had protected him. No one had suspected the truth except for Tsunade and Jiraiya. Tsunade, who'd read the report before looking at him, a strange look in her eyes, before nodding once. Jiraiya, who had walked up to him out of the blue one day, and shook his hand solemnly before telling him he wanted to take Naruto on a three-year training trip.

After all, who would suspect Kakashi of killing his "favorite" student?

End


End file.
